Mail-box attachment.



PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

J. R. CLARK.

MAIL BOX ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1903.

NO MODEL.

Patented November 24, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. CLARK, OF DAIIIJGREN, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-BOX ATTACHMENT.

fzPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,904, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed April 15, 1903. Serial .No 152,724.

To all whom it may concern:

I lid preferably having the handle or a combi- Beit known that I. JOHN R.GLARK,a citizen 1 nation-lock as indicated b 7 the numeral 4.

of the United States, residing at Dahlgren, in the county of Hamilton and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Box Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to mail-boxes, and more particularly to boxes designed for the reception of mail as deposited by the carrier, and while my invention will be found especially desirable and useful when applied upon rural mail-boxes it will also be equally eilicient for use upon mail boxes in office buildings and elsewhere; and my invention consists of certain novel features of combination and construction of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

The object of my invention, among others,

is to provide a simple form of attachment for a mail-box which will indicate to the owner of the box that mail-matter has been inserted therein, as by ringing a bell or actuating other form of indicator.

Other objects and advantages willbe hereinafter made clearly apparent, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in which-'- Figure 1 shows a vertical section of a mailbox with my invention applied to use therein and also showing diagrammatically an electric circuit cooperating with my mail-box attachment. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my mail box attachment complete, while Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section.

In order to clearly set forth the various details of my invention and accessories deemed necessary to cooperate therewith when applied to use, numerals will be employed, the same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates amail-box of the usual or any preferred construction, having the receiving slot or orifice 2, through which the mail-matter may be introduced from time to time, and also provided with a lid 3, as is common, said Within. the box thus or otherwise constructed I secure to the bottom thereof in any preferred way the base member 5 of my attachment, which in this instance consists, preferably, of a block of wood, hard rubber, or other nonconducting material, having at one end the raised portion or block 6, separately or intogrally formed with the base member, as preferred. The ba=e member 5 also carries near its other end the block or raised section 7, which may be secured to the base member or constitute an integral part thereof, as in case of the block 6. I also provide the bindingposts 8 and 9, said binding-posts being connected, respectively, with the wires 10 and 11, constituting an electric circuit, within which is placed a bell-actuating magnet 12, located, preferably, at the house of the owner of the mail-box, it being understood that the mailbox proper is usually located a distance more or less remote from the residence of the owner.

The binding-post S is connected by means of the wire 13 with the contact-point 14, carried by the block '7, while the binding-post 9 is in contact with the circuit-closing spring member 15, which is connected to the block 6 in any preferred way, as by the screw 16, while the free end of the spring member 15 is disposed above the contact-point 14:, said spring being so bent that it extends normally down in close contact with said point 1st. It is obvious, therefore, that when the spring member 15 is in engagement with the contactpoint 14: the circuit will be closed between the binding-posts 8 and 9, thereby energizing the magnet 12 and ringing the hell with which it is disposed in cooperative relationship by means of the wires 10 and 11, as hereinbefore set forth. I have, however, provided means for holding the free end of the circuit-closing spring 15 out of engagement with the contact-point 15, said means in this instance comprising the crank-arm 17, forming an integral part of the rods or fingers 18 and 19, said parts being formed as by bending a suitable piece of wire, so as to provide the crank member 17 and also providethe compound curvatures, which are indicated by the numerals 20 and 21, the latter being so formed and disposed as to leave the fingers 18 and 19 in a vertical position immediately in front of the slot 2, and it is therefore obvious that when mail-matter is introduced through the slot such matter will engage one or both the fingers 18 and 19 and force the same inward, which will leave the free end of the spring 15 unsupported by the crank member 17, when said spring will engage the contactpoint 14; and close the circuit and ring a bell at the residence of the owner of the bOX, thereby giving him notice that mailmatler has been deposited.

In some instances the fingers l8 and 19 may, if desired, be connected by cross-wires or by a suitable piece of woven wire, thereby insuring that a piece of mail-matter even of small size cannot be introduced without forcing the fingers inward and closing the circuit. It is obvious that the hell or other form of indicator selected may be located in the office or residence of the owner of the box, thus instantly showing that mail-matter has been deposited, and thereby obviating the needless and often fruitless trip to the mail-box.

lVhile I have described the preferred com bination and construction of parts deemed necessary in materializing my invention, I wish to comprehend such substantial equivalents and substitutes as may be considered as falling fairly within the scope of my invention.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described attachment for mailboxes comprising a base-section having a con tact-point; a pair of binding-posts; acircuitclosing spring connected with one of said posts and adapted to engage said contactpoint which is in circuit with the other binding-post, in combination with suitable means to normally hold the free end of said circuitclosing spring out of engagement with said contact-point, said spring-engaging means having a pair of fingers adapted to stand across the mail-receiving slot whereby when mail is introduced through said slot said fingers will be pushed inward and the spring released to engage said contact-point and thereby close the circuit and energize a magnet controlling a bell or other indicator all combined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. CLARK. lVitnesses:

A. J. Lownnv, Jr O. L. AYDT. 

